notes from The Antique Parlour

The Journal

October Birthstone: Antique Opal Jewelry, from Victorian Cabochons to Art Deco Black Opal

October Birthstone: Antique Opal Jewelry, from Victorian Cabochons to Art Deco Black Opal

Opal is the October birthstone. Here is how Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco jewelers set it, the queen who made it ...

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How to Identify an Authentic Art Deco Ring: A Buyer's Guide

How to Identify an Authentic Art Deco Ring: A Buyer's Guide

How we vet every Art Deco engagement ring before it enters our collection — the diamond, the hallmarks, the handwork,...

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Why Is Antique Jewelry So Popular Today?

Why Is Antique Jewelry So Popular Today?

Why antique and vintage jewelry is everywhere right now: the stories, the sustainability, social media, celebrity eng...

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How to Identify Victorian Jewelry: An Appraiser's Checklist

How to Identify Victorian Jewelry: An Appraiser's Checklist

Old mine and rose cut diamonds, silver-topped gold, hallmarks, closed-back settings and the motifs of each Victorian ...

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How to Choose an Antique Diamond Shape for Your Engagement Ring

How to Choose an Antique Diamond Shape for Your Engagement Ring

Round, cushion, Asscher, marquise, pear, oval or emerald cut: how each antique diamond shape looks on the hand, which...

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Antique vs. Modern Engagement Rings: Why Choose an Antique Ring

Antique vs. Modern Engagement Rings: Why Choose an Antique Ring

Why so many couples now choose an antique engagement ring over a new one: the craftsmanship, the old cut diamonds, th...

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The History of Art Nouveau Jewelry (1890 to 1910)

The History of Art Nouveau Jewelry (1890 to 1910)

Flowing lines, women, flowers and dragonflies, and enamel like stained glass: what defines Art Nouveau jewelry, the d...

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Edwardian vs. Art Deco Jewelry: How to Tell the Difference

Edwardian vs. Art Deco Jewelry: How to Tell the Difference

Edwardian jewelry is airy, lace-like and almost all white; Art Deco is geometric, bold and often full of color. An ap...

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Old Mine Cut vs. Old European Cut Diamonds: How to Tell Them Apart

Old Mine Cut vs. Old European Cut Diamonds: How to Tell Them Apart

Old mine cuts are cushion shaped and older; old European cuts are round and came later. An appraiser's side-by-side g...

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What Are Old Cut Diamonds? A Guide to Antique Diamond Cuts

What Are Old Cut Diamonds? A Guide to Antique Diamond Cuts

Old cut diamonds were shaped by hand, for candlelight, long before the modern round brilliant. Here is what they are,...

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What Diamond Cuts Tell You About the Age of Antique Jewelry

What Diamond Cuts Tell You About the Age of Antique Jewelry

From point cuts and table cuts to rose cuts, old mine and old European cuts, the way a diamond was cut is one of the ...

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The History of Antique Victorian Jewelry (1837 to 1901)

The History of Antique Victorian Jewelry (1837 to 1901)

Queen Victoria's 64-year reign shaped jewelry more than any monarch before or since. The three Victorian periods, the...

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